Umar Khalid

Umar Khalid, born Syed Umar Khalid, is an activist, former student of Jawaharlal Nehru University,[4][5] former leader of Democratic Students' Union (DSU) in JNU,[6] was allegedly involved in the Jawaharlal Nehru University sedition row and an accused under UAPA Act.

Umar Khalid
Born (1987-08-11) 11 August 1987
NationalityIndian
Alma materDelhi University (BA)[1]
Jawaharlal Nehru University (M. A. , M. Phil , Ph. D. )[2][3]
Years active2016 – present

Early life and education

Umar Khalid was born in Jamia Nagar, New Delhi and has lived there for the last 30 years. His father, Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, is from Maharashtra, while his mother is from Western Uttar Pradesh.[7] S.Q.R. Ilyas is the National President of the Welfare Party of India and a former member of Students Islamic Movement of India, a banned organisation which has declared Jihad against India.[8][9]

Khalid studied history at the Kirori Mal College of the Delhi University.[1] He later did his Masters and M.Phil in History at Jawarhlal Nehru University (JNU). His MPhil dissertation was on 'Hos of Singhbhum'. [2]

Khalid's PhD thesis was titled “Contesting claims and contingencies of the rule on Adivasis of Jharkhand” and was submitted to the JNU in 2018.[10][11] Following his PhD, he published a research article titled "Changing Village Authority in an Adivasi Hinterland: State, Community and Contingencies of Rule in Singhbhum, 1830–1897" in the journal Social Scientist in 2018.[12] He earlier presented this paper at the Young Scholars' Conference, organised by the Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University.[13]

Activism and Controversies

JNU Sedition Row
Main article: JNU sedition row

On 9 February 2016, students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) held a protest on their campus against the capital punishment meted out to the 2001 Indian Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, and Kashmiri separatist Maqbool Bhat. During the "fracas" that ensued, a small group of people raised slogans that were generally described as "anti-India" slogans.[14]

Four days after the initial event, the Delhi Police arrested JNU Student Union president Kanhaiya Kumar on charges of sedition and criminal conspiracy, under section 124 of the Indian Penal Code dating back to 1860.[15] Five other students: Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya, Rama Naga, Anant Prakash and Ashutosh Kumar, went into hiding after the arrest of Kanhaiya Kumar and returned 10 days later. Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya surrendered to the police and were taken into custody.[16]

The arrest and the use of the sedition law were heavily criticized as being a suppression of political dissent.[17][18][19] An inquiry committee appointed later by the administration of JNU initially asked 21 students to explain their contravention of university rules. Based on the inquiry, the committee meted out varying punishments to a number of students. Kanhaiya Kumar was fined 10,000 rupees, after which Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya were rusticated from the university for one semester.[20]

On 28 February 2020, the Delhi government gave their approval for a trial in the matter.[21]

Due to the High-Level Enquiry Committee that looked into the 9 February 2016 incident protests at the University, JNU initially refused to allow Umar Khalid to submit his PhD thesis in July 2018.[22][23] Umar Khalid went to the High Court of Delhi related to JNU's refusal to accept his PhD submission.[24][25] On 24 July 2018 the High Court directed JNU to allow submission of the thesis.[25] On 2 August 2018, JNU accepted the PhD thesis submission.[3][26]

Bhima Koregaon incident
Main article: 2018 Bhima Koregaon violence

Along with Jignesh Mevani, Umar Khalid was booked under a first-information report for giving 'provocative' speeches in Pune. The criminal charges against Mevani and Khalid was for promoting enmity between different groups through their speeches. The Elgaar Parishad rally, where this reportedly happened, was held in Pune to mark the 200th year of the Battle of Koregaon, a place in present-day Pune district, which was fought between the then British Indian Army and the Peshwas.[27]

Assassination attempt

On 13 August 2018, Khalid narrowly escaped an assassination attempt.[28][29][30] The two accused were arrested on 20 August 2018 by police from Fatehabad, Haryana. Before the arrest, the accused had uploaded a video on Facebook on 15 August, saying the attack was an Independence Day gift for India, and they also wanted to highlight the issue of cow protection.[31][32]

Arrest in 2020
Main article: Delhi riots 2020

Umar Khalid was booked under UAPA by Delhi Police for his alleged "provocative speeches" during the visit of American President Donald Trump to India.[33][34] Delhi police considered his speeches as instigating and facilitating Delhi riots - 2020.[35][36] On September 14, 2020, Khalid was arrested by the Delhi Police Special Cell as an alleged conspirator in the Delhi Riots case.[37][38]

In charge sheets related to the riots, the police have said Khalid met suspended and jailed Aam Aadmi Party's councillor Tahir Hussain and activist Khalid Saifi on January 8 at the Shaheen Bagh sit-in protest site against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA)-National Register of Citiznens (NRC) to allegedly plan the riots. He has been interrogated twice in the last two months for his alleged role. The police have also linked Khalid's speeches to the riots. The Delhi Police's special cell is looking into a larger conspiracy case in addition to multiple cases filed in connection with the riots that left 53 people dead and close to 400 injured.[39] Delhi Police has filed supplementary charge sheet against Umar Khalid in connection with Delhi riots 2020. police said this case is a multi-layered conspiracy and a pre-planned riots and there are sufficient evidence available to proceed against Khalid.[40] In early January 2021, a Delhi court agreed with the chargesheet stating, “Hence, there is sufficient material on record to proceed against accused Khalid under Section 204 CrPC.”[41]

References
  1. "My name is Umar Khalid and I am a Delhi University student…". The Indian Express. 28 February 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  2. "Umar Khalid, My Student". The Indian Express. 26 February 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  3. Staff Reporter (3 August 2018). "JNU accepts Umar's thesis". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  4. "Student organisations divided over JNUSU's latest form of protest". The Indian Express. 21 October 2016. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  5. "10 things you should know about Umar Khalid". India Today. Ist. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  6. Sebastian, Kritika Sharma (24 February 2016). "Umar Khalid, an activist on campus". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  7. "Umar Khalid on Decoding India". SKEP. 27 August 2018. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  8. Pritha Chatterjee (19 February 2016). "JNU student's father: If you're branding him a traitor for my (SIMI) past". indianexpress.com. New Delhi: Indian Express. Retrieved 12 June 2020. Ilyas is now the national president of Welfare Party of India, which operates out of Abul Fazl Enclave in southeast Delhi.
  9. "Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI)". Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  10. "JNU Admin Refuses To Accept Umar Khalid's PhD Thesis Despite Court Orders". Youth Ki Awaaz. 28 July 2018. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  11. "10 things you should know about Umar Khalid". India Today. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  12. Khalid, Syed Umar (2018). "Changing Village Authority in an Adivasi Hinterland". Social Scientist. 46 (5–6): 77–86. JSTOR 26530805.
  13. "A day after release, Umar Khalid presents paper at scholar conference". The Economic Times. 19 March 2016. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  14. "Afzal Guru: A martyr in JNU campus? Anti-India slogans raised, no arrests made". India Today. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  15. "JNU student leader held on 'sedition' charges over Afzal Guru event". The Indian Express. 13 February 2016. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  16. "JNU row: Kanhaiya Kumar to lead push for Umar and Anirban's release from custody - Firstpost". www.firstpost.com. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
  17. Wahab, Hisham ul (29 February 2016). "The Way Umar Khalid Is Being Singled Out Proves Him Right". India Resists. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  18. Majumder, Sanjoy (15 February 2016). "Why an Indian student has been arrested for sedition". BBC News. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  19. "New Delhi campus row grabs national attention". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  20. "JNU sedition row: Kanhaiya fined Rs 10,000, Umar Khalid rusticated for one semester - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  21. "Delhi Government gives nod for prosecuting Kanhaiya Kumar and two others in JNU sedition case". The Economic Times. 28 February 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  22. "JNU refuses to accept Umar's PhD thesis". The Hindu. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  23. "JNU says Umar, 2 others can't submit PhD papers - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  24. "Despite HC Order, JNU Refuses to Accept PhD Thesis of Umar Khalid". The Wire. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  25. "Allow five to submit thesis, Delhi HC tells JNU". The Indian Express. 25 July 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  26. "JNU Accepts Umar Khalid's PhD Thesis after Repeated Snubbing by HC | Caravan Daily". caravandaily.com. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  27. "Bhima-Koregaon violence: FIR against Jignesh Mevani, Umar Khalid for 'provocative' speeches in Pune". The Indian Express. 4 January 2018. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  28. "JNU's Umar Khalid has narrow escape, assailant's gun jams". The Indian Express. 13 August 2018. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  29. "Dastardly attempt to assassinate Umar Khalid | CJP". CJP. 13 August 2018. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  30. "Attack on Umar Khalid: Protesters ask police why no action - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  31. "Delhi court sends 2 men who attacked Umar Khalid to judicial custody - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  32. "JNU student leader Umar Khalid attacked in Delhi, escapes unhurt". The Times of India. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  33. "Delhi Police Books Umar Khalid, Meeran Haider, Safoora Zargar Under UAPA". HuffPost India. 22 April 2020. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  34. "A Lockdown of Rights: Umar Khalid, Yogendra Yadav on Delhi Arrests". The Quint. 5 May 2020. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  35. "This is an attack on us all: Student leaders shocked after Umar Khalid charged under UAPA". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  36. Staff Reporter (22 April 2020). "Charge against former JNU student leader Umar Khalid not yet clear". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  37. "Umar Khalid held for Delhi riots 'conspiracy'". The Times of India. 14 September 2020.
  38. Singh Sengar, Mukesh; Shukla, Saurabh; Achom, Debanish (14 September 2020). "Former JNU Student Umar Khalid Arrested In Delhi Riots Case". NDTV.
  39. "Delhi Police get 10-day custody of Umar Khalid after his arrest under anti-terror law". Hindustan Times. 14 September 2020.
  40. Chaturvedi, Amit. "Sufficient material to proceed against Umar Khalid': Delhi court after taking cognizance of riots conspiracy chargesheet". hindustan times. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  41. https://m.timesofindia.com/city/delhi/ne-riots-court-says-khalid-tahir-conspired-together/amp_articleshow/80123119.cms
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